What is Sigil Magick?

You may think that this name is just a coincidence, but it’s actually not, and it does represent a form of magic. Sigil comes from the Latin word “sigillum”, which means seal. In Hebrew, for instance, “segula” comes with the meaning of action or talisman. Now you may wonder whose seal it is. Or how can one use such a seal? It is actually a symbolic representation of the intentions of a magician or of one that practices magick. It is not a recent discovery since sigil magic was used centuries ago as well. Many books found, which belong to medieval times, contain these magical symbols; so it looks like people did seek the help of these seals throughout history.

In the occult manifestations of the medieval times, the sigil was represented by symbols of angels or demons, which could be summoned by the magician. Also, think about the Germanic runes, or symbols encrypted on stones, dating back to the Neolithic era. So this may look like an ancient form of magic, meant to put to use the Universe’s forces. A controversial list, containing such sigils, is “The Lesser Key of Solomon”, which is said to contain 72 sigils, belonging to princes of Hell. Considered to be the symbol that represented the real name of the entities, it is said that the magician who had the list could have controlled and summoned the beings.

Today, this method is used in the so-called Chaos Magick, and it is said to work this way: A magician thinks about an intention and writes down that statement of intent. Next, he cuts all the vowels out. After cutting the vowels out, he must check to see if the remaining letter have duplicates. If there are duplicates, he must cut down all the duplicates so that every letter has a single representative. Then, with the remaining letter, he can craft his own sigil. It can be of any shape or design, chosen by the magician. To actually work, the sigil must be charged with his energy. Either he turns to a meditative state, uses his sexual energy or blood, through an energetic outburst or just by declaring his intention. The sigil is then used as a discreet symbol written on a piece of paper, in a crystal, on a piece of wood, whatever works for the person using this type of magic.

flickr.com/photos/jdhancock

These sigils are summoned or utilised by the will of the one that holds it, mostly in the attempt to obtain something or to create a favourable environment. A sigil is something private and will be kept well hidden, so you will never come across a magician willing to share his sigil. The point is that this old form of magic survived the passing of time and ended up being used in the modern times as well. Is it actually working? Or have people just been trying to figure it out for centuries now?